Sport

Basildon AC finish fourth in Southern League season opener

BASILDON AC’s Jack Avery racked up the points for his side in their opening fixture of the Southern Athletics League season at Ipswich.

The New Towners, who had to draft a number of under-17 athletes into their senior squad, finished fourth overall at the meeting, but Avery had a good day, setting two personal bests and claiming one victory.

His win came in the 400m hurdles where he clocked 63.9s while he got PBs in the 200m (24.9s) and 400m (52.5s).

Thrower Jemma Pemberton was another to have a good day, getting PBs in the shot-putt (9.23m), hammer (17.90m) and winning the B-string javelin (29.82m).

There was an intriguing one-two in the men’s 1,500m as Basildon’s George Elliott – one of the club’s under-17 athletes – took on his training partner and GB international James Shane.

There were a number of other encouraging performances from Basildon AC’s young brigade.

Kiera Tippett won the B-string 1,500m (2m 33.9s), Gemma Archer-Haley got a PB in the 3,000m (11m 51.6s) while Charlotte Skeggs won the B-sting 400m hurdles (78.6s PB) and got another best in the triple jump (9.55m).

All three girls are in the younger age group of the under-17s and it was their first competition against the seniors.

There was a double in the women’s 1,500m as Kirsty Tydeman won the A-string (4m 53.9s) and Karen Whitmarsh the B-string (4m 57.4s) while Louise Douglass won the A-string 400m hurdles in 70.8s.

David Abiona (U20) started his season with a win in the triple jump (12.91m) while there were PBs for Jonathan Burton (800m, 2m 7.7s) and Aaron York (discus/hammer; 21.41m/12.55m).